Cord tension-alarm.



C. BRANSGROVE. CORD TENSION ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED MAILZQ, 1905.

PATENTED JAN. 30, 190B.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. CHARLES BRANSdIRir, OF MONROE, MICHIGAN.-

CORD TENSION-ALARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 30, 1906.

Application filed March 29, 1905. Serial No. 252,717-

To (bl Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES BRANSGROVE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monroe, in the county of Monroe and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Cord Tension-Alarm, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to automatic alarm mechanism for grain-binders, the object of the invention being to provide, in connection with the binder mechanism of a grain-binder, automatic continuous alarm mechanism which is controlled by the running cord in its passage from the cord or twine ,bOX to the needle, the construction and arrangement being such that the alarm mechanism is tripped or released and thrown into operation upon the breakage or running out of the cord, the alarm being thereafter continuously operated by an actuating device on the packer-shattor other continuously-rotating member of the grain-binder.

The tripping of the alarm mechanism is primarily controlled by the cord-take-up device, which acts to take up the slack in the cord during the return movements of the needle-arm of the binding mechanism:

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as herein fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sufficient portion of a grain-binder with cord tension device arranged between the sliding rod and the packer-shaft to illustrate the mechanism of this invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of thesame with the bell removed, but shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the spring-catch, showing also a portion of the hammer-trigger and a portion of the take-up arm and its tripping extension in the act of moving the catch out of engagement with the hammer trigger.

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a portion of the spring-catch.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the alarm-frame as applied to an ordinary binding-harvester, and 2 the sliding rod upon which the alarm-frame is secured and. carried.

the twine-box, the plate 5 being yieldingly pressed toward the plate 4 by means of the tension-spring 7, surrounding a bolt 8, con nected with the plate 4 and provided with a nut 9, by means of which the tension of the spring may be regulated.

The alarm-frame is provided at a suitable point with an opening 10, crossed by a jour nal-pin 11, upon which is mounted a take-up arm 12, provided at its end with an eye 13.

The arm 12 is in the form of an elbow-lever, being provided with an angular extension 14, projecting tlnough the alarm-frame and apertured to admit of the passage therethrough of a spring-catch 15, the latter being pivotally connected at 16 to a bracket 17 on the lower or under side of the alarm-frame 1, said bracket 17 being adjustable in the direction of length of the spring-catch 15 by means of a bolt 18, which passes through the bracket and a slot 19 in the alarm-frame 1. In this way the spring-catch 15 may be set to properly hold the bell-hammer out of the path of its actuating device, as will hereinafter appear. A spring 20 serves to throw the take up arm 12 upward when released by the breaking or running out of the cord 6, which after leaving the tension device hereinabove described passes under a guide hook 21, thence along the arm 12, through the eye 13, and then downward through another guide 22 on the alarm-frame 1 and then to the needie-arm.

Pivotally connected to the alarm-frame 1 at the point 23 is a bell-hammer 24, the extremity or head 25 of which is adapted to be thrown against the bell 26 by a retortingspring 27, also secured to the alarm-frame. The hammer 24 is provided with a finger or extension 28, which when the hammer is free lies in the path of the hammer-actuating device 29, preferably in the form of a cam adjustably mounted on the packer shaft 3. The hammer 24 is also provided with a trigger 3]., which is adapted to be engaged by a shoulder 32 on the spring-catch 15, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, for holding the hammer inactive, the spring-catch being held in engagement with the trigger 31 by means of a spring 30, which yields to permit the spring catch to move out of engagement with the trigger when said spring-catch is tripped by the upward movement of the extension 14 of the take-up arm.

When the binding apparatus is in proper working condition, the cord passing through,

der'tension, and said cord, by reason of the disposition of the guides 21 and 22, depresses the take-up arm 12, as shown in Fig. 1, said arm rocking upward to a limited extent in the operation of taking up slack in the cord in the return movements of the needle-arm of the binder. Should the cord break or run out, the take-up arm 12 is released and swings upward far enough to cause the extension 14 to trip the springcatch 15, which disengages the hammer-trigger 31, previouslyheld thereby, and allows the finger or extension 28 to swing outward into the path of the cam 29, which thereafter acts continuously on the hammer extension 28 and in conjunction with the spring 27 sounds the alarm until the cord is repaired or renewed, whereupon the alarm mechanism automatically resets itself in an inactive condition, and so remains until breakage occurs.

The alarm mechanism is entirely automatic in operation, is operated with perfect reliability by a part of the binder mechanism, the alarm is sounded continuously, and no laborious winding of spring clock mechanism is required.

It will be apparent that the mechanism hereinabove described is susceptible to changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having described the invention, I claim 1. Automatic continuous-alarm mechanism for grain-binders comprising a cord tension device, means for adjusting said cord tension device, a bell, a bell-hammer, a cordtake-up arm, a spring-catch for holding the hammer inactive, means for adjusting said spring-catch, means on the take-up arm for tripping said spring-catch, a rotary shaft, and a hammer-actuating device thereon.

2. Automaticcontinuous alarm mechanism for grain-binders comprising a cord tension device, means for adjusting said cord tension device, a bell, a bell-hammer, a cordtake-up arm, a spring-catch for holding the hammer inactive, means for adjusting said spring-catch, means on the take-up arm for tri ping said spring-catch, a trigger on the bel l-hammer, actuating-springs for the alarm mechanism, and a rotary hammer-actuating device connected with an element of the grain-binder mechanism.

3. Automatic continuous cord alarm mechanism for grain-binders comprising a cord tension device, means for adjusting said cord tension device, a bell, a bell-hammer, means for holding the hammer normally inactive, means controlled by the breaking or running out of the cord for releasing the hammer, and means on a continuously-moving part of the binder mechanism for actuating the hammer when released, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. Automatic continuous cord alarm mechanism for grain-binders, comprising a cord tension device, means for adjusting said cord tension device, a bell, a bell-hammer, a spring-catch, means for adjusting said springcatch, a rotary hammer-actuating device on the packer-shaft of the binder, a trigger for normally holding the hammer out of the path of movement of its actuating device, and means controlled by the tension of the cord for operating the trigger when the cord breaks or runs out.

5. Automatic continuous-alarm mechanism for grain-binders, comprising a cord tension device, a spring-catch, actuating-springs, a bell, a bell-hammer, a hammer-trigger, a suitably constructed frame for corn and grain binders, operating connections between an element of the binder and the hammertrigger, a cordtake-up device provided with means for tripping the spring-catch and releasing the hammer-trigger.

6. Automatic continuous cord alarm mechanism for grain-binders comprising an alarmframe, a cord tension device, means for ad justing said cord tension device, a bell, a bellhammer, a packer-shaft, a hammer tappet device on said shaft, a cord-take-up arm provided with a tripping device, a springcatch for holding the hammer inactive until the cord breaks or runs out.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES BRANSGROVE.

Vitnesses:

WILLIAM ROEDER, WILLIAM SToEoKERT. 

